(Reuters) — A Texas veterinarian has been
charged with cruelty to animals after several dogs that had been brought
to his clinic to be euthanized were kept alive in squalid conditions for
use in blood transfusions, Fort Worth police said on Thursday.

Millard Tierce, who operates Camp Bowie Animal Clinic in Fort
Worth, turned himself into authorities on Wednesday and was
released on a $10,000 bond, the police said.

An owner of one of the dogs, Marian Harris, told the Fort Worth
Star Telegram she believed her dog Sid had been euthanized last
fall after Tierce diagnosed it with a degenerative spinal
disease.

The dog was found alive and covered in filth. It was then
returned to its owner.

“The biggest hurt in all of this is the deception and what it
means with something that means so much to you,” Harris told the
newspaper.

Local media said investigators have found five dogs that were
supposed to be euthanized and which Tierce is suspected of
keeping alive.

Tierce was not immediately available for comment.

The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners will hold a
hearing before May 14 to decide whether Tierce's license will be
revoked. The license is currently suspended.